QL 


B    3   301 


GIFT  OF 


BIOLOGY 

LIBRARY 

G 


HOW  TO  ATTRACT  BIRDS 
IN  NORTHEASTERN  UNITED  STATES 


W.  L.  McATEE 

Assistant  Biologist 


FARMERS'  RULLETIN  621 
UNITED  STATES  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE 


Contribution  from  the  Bureau  of  Biological  Survey 
E.  W.  NELSON,  Chief 


Washington,  D.  C. 


Revised,  June,  1917 


Additional  copies  of  this  bulletin  may  be  obtained  from  the 
Division  of  Publications,  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture 


WASHINGTON  :  GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE  :  KIT 


"DIRDS  appeal  strongly  to  the  interests  and  affec- 
•*-*  tions  of  mankind.  Not  only  do  they  charm 
by  their  neat  forms,  harmonious  colors,  sprightly 
actions,  and  usually  pleasing  notes,  but  they  have 
an  even  more  important  claim  upon  our  esteem  be- 
cause of  their  great  economic  value. 

Birds  feed  upon  practically  all  insect  pests. 
They  are  voracious,  able  to  move  freely  from  place 
to  place,  and  exert  a  steady  influence  in  keeping 
down  the  swelling  tide  of  insect  life. 

For  economic  as  well  as  for  esthetic  reasons, 
therefore,  an  effort  should  be  made  to  attract 
and  protect  birds  and  to  increase  their  numbers. 
Where  proper  measures  of  this  kind  have  been 
taken  an  increase  of  several  fold  in  the  bird  popu- 
lation has  resulted,  with  decreased  losses  from 
depredations  of  injurious  insects. 

This  bulletin  is  one  of  a  series  intended  to  de- 
scribe the  best  methods  of  attracting  birds  in 
various  parts  of  the  United  States,  especially  by 
providing  a  food  supply  and  other  accessories 
about  the  homestead.  The  area  to  which  it  is 
adapted  is  shown  by  the  shaded  portion  of  the  map 
on  page  3. 


. 
** 


HOW  TO  ATTRACT  BIRDS  IN  NORTHEASTERN 
UNITED  STATES. 


CONTENTS. 


Protection      

Breeding  places 
Water  supply   _. 


Page. 
3 
4 
5 


Page. 

Food  supply 6 

Protecting   cultivated   fruit 15 

Plants  for  the  shore 15 


THE  means  of  increasing  the  number  of  birds  about  the  home 
are  few  and  simple.  They  comprise  adequate  protection  and 
the  provision  of  suitable  nesting  places,  food,  and  water.  It  is 
planned  in  a  series  of  publications,  of  which  this  bulletin  relating 
to  northeastern  United  States  (fig.  1)  is  the  first,  to  recommend 
practicable  methods  of 
attracting  birds  about 
homes  in  the  various 
parts  of  the  United 
States.  Especial  attention 
will  be  given  to  the  value 
of  fruit  -  bearing  shrubs 
and  trees,  as  less  informa- 
tion relating  to  these  as  a 
means  of  attracting  birds 
is  available  than  concern- 
ing more  widely  known 
but  not  more  important 
measures,  as  protection,  winter  feeding,  and  the  supplying  of  nesting 
boxes  and  water.  Furthermore,  the  last-named  measures  need  not 
vary  so  much  with  the  locality  as  does  choice  of  fruit-bearing  shrubs 
and  trees. 

PROTECTION. 

Protection  is  the  prime  requisite  for  increasing  the  number  of 
birds  in  any  area,  and  the  results  of  protection  are  in  direct  propor- 
tion to  its  thoroughness.  Besides  being  insured  against  every  form 
of  persecution  by  human  kind,  birds  must  be  defended  from  various 

NOTE. — The  original  issue  of  this  bulletin  appeared  December  14,  1914. 

89298°— 17  3 

365713 


FIG.  1. — Map  of  the  United  States,  the  shaded 
area  showing  the  territory  to  which  this  bulletin 
applies. 


V  1  V,' 
*»•'"»'  •"** 

BULLETIN  621. 


natural  foes.     The  most  effectual  single  step  is  to  surround  the  pro- 
posed bird  sanctuary  with  a  vermin-proof  fence   (fig.  2).     Such  a 


'  — *=^,  • '  ~-  •     • 

FIG.  2. — Cat-proof  fence  ;  a,  with  barbed  wire ;  6,  with  loose  overhanging  netting. 

fence  should  prevent  entrance  either  by  digging  or  by  climbing,  but 
will  serve  its  greatest  use  if  it  can  not  be  climbed,  and  is  therefore 
cat  proof.  For  this  purpose  the  erect  part  of  the  fence  above  ground 
should  be  6  feet  high,  and  the  weave  should  not  be  more  than  IJ-inch 
mesh.  The  overhang  should  be  2  feet  wide,  and  if  strung  with 
wires  these  should  be  not  more  than  \\  inches  apart.  If  it  is  im- 
practicable to  build  an  impenetrable  fence,  the  next  best  device  is  to 
put  guards  (fig.  3)  of  sheet  metal  on  all  nesting,  trees  and  on  poles 
supporting  bird  houses.  This  should  be  done  in  any  case  where 
squirrels  or  snakes  are  likely  to  intrude,  as  it  is  usually  impossible 
to  fence  out  these  animals.  Tree  guards  should  be  6  feet  or  more 
above  ground.  Attacks  by  hawks,  owls,  crows,  jays,  or  other  enemies 
are  best  controlled  by  eliminating  the  destructive  individuals.  Those 
who  wish  to  combat  English  sparrows  will  find  full  directions  for 
so  doing  in  Farmers'  Bulletin  493.1 

BREEDING  PLACES. 

Although  a  considerable  number  of  our  native  birds  build  their 
nests  on  the  ground,  the  majority  place  them  in  trees  or  shrubs,  either 
in  holes  or  on  the  limbs  or  in  the  crotches.  Shrubbery  and  trees  for 
nesting  sites,  therefore,  are  essential  for  making  a  place  attractive 
to  birds,  and  a  double  purpose  is  served  if  the  kinds  planted  are 
chosen  from  the  list  of  fruit-bearing  species  given  farther  on. 
Shrubs  should  be  allowed  to  form  thickets  and  should  be  pruned 
back  severely  when  young  so  as  to  produce  numerous  crotches. 

Constant  removal  of  old  trees  and  modern  tree-surgery  have  re- 
sulted in  a  great  diminution  in  the  number  of  tree  cavities,  the  natu- 
ral homes  of  most  of  our  hole-nesting  birds.  Fortunately,  most  of 
these  birds  will  utilize  artificial  nest  cavities  or  bird  houses.  The 

1  Dearborn,  Ned,  "  The  English  Sparrows  as  a  Pest,"  revised,  1917. 


HOW    TO   ATTRACT   BIRDS. 


sizes  useful  for  various  birds,  plans  for  making,  and  illustrations 
of  numerous  bird  boxes  are  given  in  Farmers'  Bulletin  609.1  Styles 
of  bird  houses  may  be  almost  endlessly  varied.  These  structures  may 
be  improvised  by  anyone,  but  they  may  be  purchased  also  from 
numerous  dealers.  The  most  common  errors  in  putting  out  bird 
houses  are  choosing  poor  locations  and  supplying  too  many  boxes. 
A  bird  house  needs  only  partial  shade,  and  houses  on  poles  usually 
are  taken.  Martins  prefer  a  house  standing  apart  from  trees.  En- 
trances to  boxes  should  be  sheltered  by  projecting  roofs  and  should 
face  away  from  the  prevailing  wind  and  rain  storms. 

All  bird  houses  should  be  constructed  so  that  the  interior  may 
easily  be  examined  and  cleaned.  This  is  not  only  important  to 
permit  last  year's  rubbish  to  be  thrown  out,  but  is  necessary  in  much 
of  the  area  for  which  the  present  bulletin  is  written  to  facilitate 
inspection  for  gypsy-moth  egg  masses  and  cocoons. 

As  a  rule,  birds  do  not  like  being  crowded,  and  if  a  place  is  studded 
with  bird  houses  only  a  few  af  them  will  be  occupied.  Birds  not 
only  do  not  want  bird  neighbors  too  near,  but  they  are  impatient 
of  human  meddling,  and  therefore  should  be  granted  as  much  pri- 
vacy as  possible  during  the  actual  incubating  and  brooding.  Nests 
built  in  shrubbery  are  especially  likely  to  come  to  a  bad  end  if  the 
birds  are  frequently  disturbed. 

If  ground-nesting  birds,  as  bobolinks,  meadowlarks,  and  bob- 
whites,  are  to  be  protected,  grass  in  the  nesting  fields  must  not  be 
cut  during  the  breeding 
season. 

WATER    SUPPLY. 

Nothing  has  a  more  potent 
attraction  for  birds  during 
hot  weather  than  drinking 
and  bathing  places.  The 
birds'  water  supply  should  be 
a  pool  not  more  than  a  few  ,|j 
inches  deep,  the  bottom  slop- 
ing gradually  upward  toward 
the  edge.  Both  bottom  and 
edge  should  be  rough,  so  as  to 
afford  a  safe  footing.  A  giant 
pottery  saucer  (fig.  4,  a)  is 
an  excellent  device,  or  the 
pool  may  be  made  of  concrete  or  even  metal,  if  the  surface  be 
roughened  (fig.  4,  5).  The  bird  bath  ma}^  be  elevated,  or  on  the 


FIG.    3. — Tree   guards. 


1  Dearborn,  Ned,  "  Bird  Houses  and  How  to  Build  Them,"  revised,  1917. 


FARMERS     BULLETIN   G21. 


•;. 


ground  if  on  an  open  space  where  skulking  enemies  can  not  approach 
too  near. 

A  water  supply  is  appreciated  in  winter  as  well  as  in  summer. 
If  running  water  can  not  be  provided,  that  supplied  should  be 
warmed  to  delay  freezing. 

FOOD  SUPPLY. 

Food  supply  is  the  vital  .factor  in  bird  life  and  the  most  important 
single  offering  that  can  be  made  in  efforts  to  attract  birds.  It  is  im- 
portant to  note  that  an  ample  supply  of  food  prior  to  and  during  the 

nesting  season  tends  to  increase  the 
number  of  eggs  laid  and  also  the 
number  of  broods  in  a  season. 
Bird  food  may  be  supplied  in  two 
ways — by  planting  trees,  shrubs, 
and  herbs  which  produce  seeds  or 
fruits  relished  by  birds,  and  by  ex- 
posing food  in  artificial  devices. 
The  most  familiar  phase  of  the  lat- 
ter method  is  winter  feeding. 

ARTIFICIAL   FOOD. 

During  the  season  when  the 
natural  food  supply  is  at  its  lowest 
ebb  birds  respond  most  readily  to 
our  hospitality.  Winter  feeding 
has  become  very  popular,  and  the 
result  has  been  to  bring  about  bet- 
ter understanding  between  birds 
and  human  kind. 

The  winter  foods  commonly 
used  include  suet  or  other  fat,  pork 

FIG.  4.— Bird  baths  :  a,  Pottery  ;  b,  metal    rinds,   bones    with    shreds    of   meat, 
or    concrete.  ,      -,  ^ 

cooked  meats,  meal  worms,  cut-up 

apples,  birdseed,  buckwheat,  crackers,  crumbs,  coconut  meat,  cracked 
corn,  broken  dog  biscuits  or  other  bread,  hemp  seed,  millet,  nut  meats 
of  all  kinds  (especially  peanuts),  whole  or  rolled  oats,  peppers,  pop- 
corn, pumpkin  or  squash  seeds,  raw  or  boiled  rice,  sunflower  seeds, 
and  wheat. 

The  methods  of  making  these  supplies  available  to  birds  are  as 
varied  as  the  dietary  itself.  A  device  very  commonly  used  is  the 
food  tray  or  shelf  (figs.  5  and  6).  This  may  be  put  on  a  tree  or  pole, 
by  a  window  or  at  some  other  point  about  a  building,  or  strung 
upon  a  wrire  or  other  support  on  which  it  may  be  run  back  and  forth. 
The  last  device  is  useful  in  accustoming  birds  to  feed  nearer  and 


HOW   TO   ATTRACT  BIRDS. 


nearer  a  comfortable  observation  point.    A  fault  with  food  shelves 
is  that  wind  and  rain  may  sweep  them  clean  and  snow  may  cover 
the  food.    These  defects  may  be  obviated 
in  part  by  adding  a  raised  ledge  about  the 
margin  or  by  placing  the  shelf  in  the 
shelter  of  a  wall  or  shielding  it  with  ever- 
green branches  on  one  or  more  sides. 

Feeding  devices  not  affected  by  the 
weather  are  preferable.  An  excellent  one 
is  a  coconut  with  a  hole  bored  in  one  end. 
(Fig.  7.)  The  cavity  is  filled  with 
chopped  suet  and  nuts  or  other  food  mix- 
ture, and  the  nut  is  suspended  by  a  wire 
from  a  limb.  The  size  of  the  hole  regu- 
lates the  character  of  the  guests ;  if  small, 
large  birds  can  not  gobble  the  supply. 
The  coconut  meat  as  well  as  the  stuffing 
is  eaten.  Cans  with  small  openings  may 
be  substituted  for  coconuts.  Food  baskets 


PIG.    5. — Food    tray. 

of  any  desired  size  made  of 
wire  netting  or  a  metal 
grating  may  be  hung  up  or 
fastened  to  the  trunk  of  a 
tree.  Food  mixtures  in 
melted  fat  may  be  poured 
into  holes  made  in  a  branch 
or  stick  (fig.  8)  or  in  cracks 
of  bark  or  over  evergreen 
branches.  All  of  these  de- 
vices minimize  or  obviate 
the  disturbing  effects  of 
stormy  weather. 

More  elaborate  appara- 
tus for  the  same  purpose 
comprises  various  forms  of 
food  hoppers  and  food 
houses.  The  food  hoppers 
(figs.  6  and  9)  in  common 
use  for  domestic  fowls  are 

adapted  to  the  feeding  of  birds,  and  some  special  forms  are  now 

manufactured  for  wild  birds. 


FIG.  6.— Food  shelf. 


8 


FARMERS     BULLETIN   621. 


The  food  house  is  a  permanent  structure,  with  solid  roof,  and  glass 
on  one  or  more  sides  to  permit  observations  (fig.  10).  The  food 
trays  it  contains  are  entirely  sheltered  from  the  weather.  In  one 
style  this  result  is  obtained  by  mounting  the  house  on  a  pivot  and 

furnishing  it  with  vanes  (fig.  11)  which 
if  large  enough  keep  the  open  side  always 
from  the  wind. 

Game  birds  and  sparrows  may  be  pro- 
vided with  feeding  places  by  erecting 
low  hutches  or  making  wigwamlike 
shocks  of  corn  or  grain  sheaves  under 
which  food  may  be  scattered.  The  open- 
ing should  be  to  the  south. 

Those  who  desire  to  have  birds  about 
their  homes  should  not  feel  that  their 
power  to  attract  them  is  gone  when  win- 
ter is  over.  Winter  feeding  easily  passes 
into  summer  feeding,  and  experience 
proves  that  some  birds  gladly  avail 
themselves  throughout  the  year  of  this 
easy  mode  of  getting  a  living. 

NATURAL  FOOD. 

FIG.  7. — Coconut  larder. 

We  have  thus  far  considered  ways  of 

feeding  birds  tidbits  we  ourselves  have  gleaned.  We  may  feed  them 
by  another  method,  by  cultivating  their  natural  food  plants  and 
allowing  them  to  reap  the  harvest  in  their  own  way. 

Less  has  been  done  in  this  respect  for  the  true  seed-eating  birds 
than  for  those  fond  of  pulpy  fruits.  The  reason  is  obvious,  however. 
Our  seed-eating  birds 
largely  patronize  weeds, 
which  we  do  not  wish  to 
cultivate,  while  the  fruit 
eaters  depend  upon  many 
plants  Avhich  we  hold  in  FlG-  8.— Feeding  stick. 

such  esteem  for  their  ornamental  value  that  they  are  generally 
cultivated. 

FEEDING    SEED-EATING   BIRDS. 

Something  can  be  done,  however  to  attract  the  seed  eaters  about 
our  homes.  A  number  of  commonly  cultivated  annual  plants,  be- 
longing to  the  same  groups  as  those  upon  which  the  birds  feed  ex- 
tensively in  nature,  produce  good  crops  of  seeds.  These  plants,  being 
dependent  upon  cultivation,  can  be  used  without  fear  that  they  will 
become  pests.  The  following  are  suggested  for  the  purpose :  Prince's 


HOW    TO   ATTRACT  BIRDS. 


9 


feather  (Amaranthus  cruentus),  love  lies  bleeding  (A.  caudatus), 
asters,  calandrinias,  blessed  thistle  (Carduus  benedictus),  centaureas, 
California  poppies 
(Eschscholtzia),  sunflow- 
ers, tarweed  (Madia  ele- 
gans),  forget-me-nots, 
Polygonum  orientate  and 
P.  sachalinense,  Portu- 
laca,  Silene,  and  sugar 
cane  (sorghum  varieties). 
The  various  millets  are 
relished  by  nearly  all 
seed-eating  birds.  Com- 
mon millet  (Panicum 
miliaceum ) ,  Japanese 
millet  or  barnyard  grass 
(Eckinochloa  cms- g alii) , 
and  German  millet  or  FlG-  9.— Food  hopper  (roof  detachable). 

Hungarian  grass  (Setaria  italica)  may  be  obtained  from  most  seeds- 
men, and  should  be  planted  in  abundance  by  those  wishing  to  attract 
granivorous  birds.  The  height  and  stiffness  of  stalk  of  varieties  of 
sorghum  should  make  these  abundant  seeders  valuable  in  winter. 

Japanese  millet  holds  its  seeds 
well,  and,  if  planted  thickly 
where  it  can  grow  up  through  a 
horizontal  lattice  work,  makes 
a  valuable  cover  and  feeding 
place  for  winter  birds.  Canary 
grass  (Phalams  canariensis) 
and  various  species  of  Pen- 
nisetum  also  are  good  for  seed- 
eating  birds. 

Alders  and  birches  bear  in 
their  numerous  cones  a  supply 
of  seeds  which  are  eagerly 
sought  for  by  redpolls,  siskins, 
and  goldfinches  during  the  win- 
ter. Still  another  group  of 
birds  may  be  catered  to  by 
planting  ashes  and  box  elders. 
FIG  10.— Food  house.  The  winged  f  ruits  of  these  trees 

are  opened  and  the  seeds  eaten  by  pine  and  evening  grosbeaks,  the 
visits  of  these  birds  being  largely  regulated  by  the  supply  of  this 


10 


FARMERS     BULLETIN   621. 


kind  of  food.    Larches,  pines,  and  other  conifers  are  attractive  to 
crossbills  as  well  as  to  some  of  the  species  just  mentioned. 

FEEDING    FEUIT-EATING    BIRDS. 

Feeding  fruit-eating  birds  is  best  accomplished  by  planting  selected 
species  of  fruit-bearing  shrubs  and  trees.  Through  late  spring  and 
summer  there  is  usually  an  abundance  of  insect  food  in  addition  to 
fruit  enough  for  all  the  birds.  So  far  as  fruit  alone  is  concerned, 
fall  is  the  season  of  overflowing  abundance;  in  winter  the  supply 
gradually  decreases,  and  late  winter  and  early  spring  are  the  seasons 

of  actual  scarcity.  This  is  the  critical 
time  of  year  for  many  birds,  and  a 
plentiful  supply  of  wild  fruit  will 
tide  them  over.  Fortunately,  every- 
where in  the  United  States  there  are 
some  fruits  that  persist  until  there  is 
no  longer  any  need  of  them.  If 
enough  are  planted,  no  birds  able  to 
live  on  this  class  of  food  should  starve. 
The  best  of  these  long  persisting  fruits 
are  juniper,  bayberry,  thorn  apples 
and  related  fruits,  holly,  and  snow- 
berry. 

The  species  listed  in  Table  1  are 
selected  from  a  much  larger  number 
which  are  known  to  be  favorites  with 
fruit-eating  birds.  Various  considera- 
tions have  influenced  choice,  as  orna- 
mental value,  earliness,  lateness,  or 
length  of  fruiting  season,  and  espe- 
cially availability  of  the  plants  through  ordinary  channels  of  trade. 
The  data  on  fruiting  seasons  have  been  compiled  from  the  principal 
herbaria  of  the  Northeastern  States,  with  a  few  additions  from  other 
sources. 

The  fruiting  seasons  indicated  include  the  earliest  and  latest  dates 
recorded  for  the  Northeastern  States.  Hence  it  can  not  be  expected 
that  fruit  will  be  available  in  any  one  locality  throughout  the  entire 
bearing  season  of  a  plant  unless  a  large  number  of  plants  are  set  out 
and  in  a  variety  of  situations.  Purchasers  may  obtain  information 
from  nursery  catalogues  as  to  where,  when,  and  how  to  plant.  Notes 
on  species  which  may  be  substituted  for  some  of  those  in  the  main 
list,  and  other  comments,  follow  the  table. 


FIG.   11. — Food  house  on   pivot. 


HOW    TO   ATTRACT   BIRDS. 


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HOW    TO   ATTRACT   BIRDS. 


13 


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14  FARMERS'  BULLETIN  621. 

NOTES  ON  THE  FOREGOING  LIST. 

Bayberry.  Usual  trade  name  is  Hyrica  cerifera. 

Hackberry.  Fruit  scarce  in  late  May  and  June.  Celtis  serrata,  C.  bungeana, 
or  C.  mississippiensis  may  be  substituted. 

Mulberry.  Morus  tatarica  may  be  used. 

Pokeweed.  Let  it  grow  through  shrubs  or  a  trellis  which  will  support  it  in 
winter. 

Barberry.  Berberis  amurensis,  B.  aristata,  B.  regeliana,  and  B.  rehderiana  are 
good  substitutes.  The  universally  planted  B.  thunbergi  seems  to  be  of  very 
little  value  as  bird  food. 

Sassafras.  Appears  in  most  catalogs  as  8.  officinale  or  8.  sassafras. 

Flowering  apple.  The  following  may  be  substituted :  P.  baccata,  P.  halliana, 
P.  parkmanni,  P.  sargentii,  and  P.  toringo. 

Chokeberry.  Often  called  Pyrus  or  Aronia  nigra.  P.  arbutifolia,  another  native 
species,  retains  its  fruit  just  as  long,  but  the  fruit  becomes  very  dry  toward 
the  end  of  the  season. 

Cherry.  Primus  cerasifera,  P.  fruticosus,  P.  japonica  pendula,  P.  sargentii,  and 
P.  tomentosa,  all  introduced,  are  worth -adding. 

Sumac.  Rhus  copallina  or  R.  hirta  (typhina)  may  be  substituted  for  R.  glabra. 

Juneberry.  Amelanchier  canadensis,  sold  by  nurserymen,  is  a  composite  species. 
Several  species  are  now  recognized,  among  which  A.  laevis  is  a  notably  early 
fruiter  and  A.  sanguinea  a  late  one.  Some  fruit  of  juneberries  occasionally 
hangs  much  later  than  the  season  indicated,  but  in  very  dry  condition. 

Thorns.  The  species  recommended  are  those  usual  in  the  trade.  So  far  as 
desirability  is  concerned  many  native  species  could  be  substituted. 
Cotoneasters,  such  as  C.  coccinea,  C.  horizontalis,  C.  microphylla,  C.  ro- 
tundifolia,  and  C.  tomentosa,  may  also  be  used. 

Strawberry.  Often  called  Fragaria  vesca  var.  americana.  F.  virginiana  is  a 
fair  substitute.  Little  dealt  in ;  must  usually  be  transplanted  from  woods 
and  fields. 

Blackberry.  Rubus  triflorus  is  frequently  called  R.  americanus. 

Rose.  All  native  species  have  persistent  fruit.  The  small-fruited  ones  are  best 
for  birds.  Rosa  Carolina  and  R.  nitida  are  suitable  for  low  grounds;  and 
R.  humilis  (sometimes  called  virginiana)  and  R.  setigera  may  be  planted 
in  drier  places.  R.  micrantha  and  R.  multiflora  are  among  the  best  intro- 
duced roses. 

Black  alder.  Ilex  laevigata  may  be  used  instead  of  /.  verticillata.  /.  serrata  is 
a  good  introduced  species. 

Mountain  holly.  Drops  most  of  its  berries  in  the  fall;  only  a  few  persist 
throughout  the  season  indicated. 

Bittersweet.  Celastrus  orbiculatus,  introduced,  may  be  used. 

Buckthorn.  Rhamnus  dahurica  is  equally  good. 

Virginia  creeper.  Often  sold  under  the  names  Ampelopsis  and  Parthenocissus. 
A.  Jieterophylla  and  P.  vitacea  may  be  substituted. 

Wild  pepper.  Hippophae  rhamnoides  may  replace  it,  especially  along  coast. 

Oleaster.  Elaeagnus  longipes,  E.  multiflora,  E.  parviflora,  and  E.  umbellata 
also  are  good. 

Buffalo  berry.  Shepherdia  (Lepargyrea)  argentea,  the  true  buffalo  berry,  fur- 
nishes good  bird  food. 

Dogwood.  Cornus  paniculata  (candidissima),  native,  and  C.  alba  and  C.  san- 
guinea, introduced,  are  worthy  substitutes. 

Huckleberry.  Gaylussacia  baccata  is  often  sold  as  G.  resinosa. 


HOW  TO  AT3,ptti>6,*K:'  15 


Blueberry.  Any  species  may  be  substituted. 

Cranberry.  Generic  name  often  given  as  Oxycoccus. 

Privet.  Ligustrum   acumlnatum,   L.   amurense,   L.    ciliatum,   L.   ibota,   and   L. 

microcarpum,  all  introduced,  are  equally  good.     Must  not  be  clipped;  ber- 

ries borne  on  outer  twigs. 

Purpleberry.  Variety  japonica  is  the  hardy  form. 
Honeysuckle.  Lonicera  glauca,  L.  canadensis,  L.  oUongifolia,  and  L.  semper- 

virens,  native,  and  L.  maackii,  introduced,  may  be  substituted. 
Snowberry.  Symphoricarpus  occidentalis  is  just  as  good. 

Viburnum.  V.  dentatum,  native,  and  V.  sieboldii,  introduced,  are  worth  adding. 
Elder.  Sambucus  nigra,  introduced,  also  is  valuable. 

PROTECTING  CULTIVATED  FRUITS. 

Birds  devour  cultivated  fruit  principally  because  the  processes 
of  cultivation  dimmish  the  wild  supply.  The  presence  of  wild  fruit 
in  a  locality  always  serves  to  protect  domestic  varieties,  especially 
when  the  wild  trees  or  shrubs  are  of  the  same  kind  as  the  cultivated 
ones  and  ripen  earlier. 

Table  2  (p.  16)  shows  in  a  graphic  way  the  species  which  may  be 
used  to  protect  the  principal  classes  of  cultivated  fruits» 

PLANTS  FOR  THE  SHORE. 

Where  the  coast  is  rocky  and  the  soil  of  ordinary  character,  con- 
ditions are  little  different  from  those  inland,  and  except  in  relation 
to  exposure  there  need  be  no  especial  preference  given  in  the  choice 
of  plants.  It  is  worth  mentioning,  however,  that  several  trees  and 
shrubs  are  better  adapted  to  withstand  the  winds  so  prevalent  on  the 
coast.  These  include  three  species  of  juniper  (Juniperus  communis, 
J.  horizontalis,  and  /.  virgirdana),  common  barberry,  English  thorn, 
hybrid  crabapple,  European  and  American  mountain  ashes,  smooth 
and  staghorn  sumacs,  privets,  buckthorn,  and  red-berried  elder. 
Where  the  soil  is  chiefly  sand,  and  that  often  shifting,  conditions 
are  not  suited  to  many  plants.  Selection  may  be  made,  however, 
from  the  following,  all  of  which  are  known  to  thrive  in  such  sur- 
roundings : 

For  seed  eaters.  —  Beach  grass  (Ammophila  arenaria  and  Calamo- 
vilfa  longifolia],  Polygonum  sachalinense,  and  sunflower. 

For  fruit  eaters.  —  Bayberry  (Myrica  cerifera),  sea  buckthorn 
(Hippophae  rhamnoides},  sand  cherry  (Prunus  pumila  or  P.  cu- 
neata),  beach  plum  (Prunus  maritima),  cranberries,  and  bearberry 
(Arctostaphylos  uva-ursi). 

[The  Biological  Survey  will  be  pleased  to  receive  information 
supplementary  to  that  here  given  regarding  any  plants  that  actual 
trial  has  shown  to  be  valuable  as  bird  food,  and  their  fruiting 
seasons.] 


16 


:, BULLETIN   621. 


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